Arrival of Things from Another Culture in Hurricane hits England and Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan

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In ‘hurricane hits England’ (hurricane) by Grace Nichols the arrival

of the hurricane challenges the thoughts of the poet, she is initially

from the Caribbean but now live in Sussex, until the arrival of the

hurricane she has not felt at home in England. This is similar to

‘presents from my Aunts in Pakistan’ (presents) by Moniza Alvi, she

also has roots from another country and now lives in England. The

arrival of presents from the Pakistan culture challenges her

thinking, as does the hurricane to Nichols.

The hurricane challenges her thinking by making her realise that

it is possible to bring your roots anywhere. She comes to this

realisation through the poem and at the end of it comes to the

conclusion that ‘the earth is the earth is the earth’. She originally

feels torn between her two cultures, it takes the arrival of the

hurricane ‘to bring her closer’. Whereas in ‘presents’ it is the

arrival of the presents from Pakistan that make her feel torn

between cultures. The clothes are a symbol of culture, she feels

‘alien’ and awkward wearing them and much more comfortable in

her English ‘denim and corduroy’.

Nichols also uses symbolism in her poem, the hurricane is a symbol of her Caribbean culture. They are very irregular in

England but a regular occurrence in her childhood in the

Caribbean, this makes her feel comfortable and at home. The

hurricane is used along with many other natural images, this is

mainly because of the effect of the wind on the landscape, for

example the 'trees / Falling heavy as whales' is an effective line

because the huge trees become like whales when the torrential

rain that accompanies a hurricane makes the land become almost

like a sea. Another natural image is the ‘frozen lake in me’ which

metaphorically is the poet being ‘frozen’ away from her county and

now the hurricane has arrived to break the ice, so she can bring

her roots anywhere.

‘Presents’ also uses natural images, the poet describes the sari

that is sent as ‘apple-green’ and the salwar kameez as ‘peacock

blue’ and the other ‘like an orange split open’. This vibrant simile

and the repeated reference to colour draws her to the loveliness of

the culture and emphasises the contrast to the boring English

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